Cab Calloway what do you think this artists?

[Hardbopjazz]

This weekend I was watching the Blues Brothers on cable. Cab Calloway Preformed is signature song, “Minnie the Moocher”. Now do you feel Calloway was more of a showman or a jazz performer? I not that fluent with his music other then a handful of tunes I've heard.

[brownie]

Cab Calloway's role as a performer was 'limited' to singing and bandleading. But what a band he led! If you want to investigate, suggest you check the Cab Calloway CDs - there must be a dozen by now - of the Chronogical Classics. There are a lot of incredible sides in any of these albums. His band had people like Jonah Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Tyree Glenn, Hilton Jefferson, Ben Webster, Chu Berry, Ike Quebec, Milt Hinton, Cozy Cole among others.

And Cab Calloway had few matches as showman!

By the time he appeared in the 'Blues Brothers' film he was a bit past his prime but he could still entertain!

[jazzbo]

Man, I like Cab. I have all his material up to the early forties, and some beyond that. He was a showman, sure. But he was also a savy bandleader and spotter and developer of talent, and he was a unique singer. . . !

[ghost of miles]

JSP has two great Cab sets out now, each 4 CDs. One covers 1930-35, the other 1935-40. Lots of prime Calloway for you there.

[Jazzmoose]

I only have one Calloway disc, the Chrono Classic with "St. James Infirmary", so I guess I'm not a gigantic fan of his, but I'll be damned if I'll knock him!

[LAL]

As mentioned above, Cab was mainly an entertainer and band leader but did he get some excellent musicians/band to back him up! As a result he recorded some excellent music, although the vocals are not really up my alley but acceptable.

A good one disc sampler would be "Are You Hep to the Jive" on Columbia, that features the late 30s to 40s recordings.

Another vote for the JSP sets, convenient and more economical way of getting much of the music.

If they can be found, there are the single disc JSP or Masters of Jazz (vol.1) that cover 10 songs and 2 alt. takes of Cab's earliest recordings with the good but little known big band, The Missourians, which he later took over as his backing band.

[Christiern]

For a while, his sister, Blanche Calloway, had a more interesting band.

[EKE BBB]

I enjoy every Cab Calloway recording I have (all in the Chronological Classics series).

He was a great bandleader and an interesting singer... but with the roll of great musicians he had in his band (Gillespie, Webster, Berry, Jones... for instance), I wish he had sung less and left more room for soloing!

[EKE BBB]

Whaddya say, gate? Are you in the know, or are you a solid bringer-downer? (Cab Calloway, 'Are you Hep to the Jive')

Cab Calloway slang:

INSTRUMENTS:

Guitar: Git Box or Belly-Fiddle

Bass: Doghouse

Drums: Suitcase, Hides, or Skins

Piano: Storehouse or Ivories

Saxophone: Plumbing or Reeds

Trombone: Tram or Slush-Pump

Clarinet: Licorice Stick or Gob Stick

Xylophone: Woodpile

Vibraphone: Ironworks

Violin: Squeak-Box

Accordion: Squeeze-Box or Groan-Box

Tuba: Foghorn

Electric Organ: Spark Jiver

GRAMMAR:

A hummer (n.) -- exceptionally good. Ex., "Man, that boy is a hummer."

Ain't coming on that tab (v.) -- won't accept the proposition. Usually abbr. to "I ain't coming."

Alligator (n.) -- jitterbug.

Apple (n.) -- the big town, the main stem, Harlem.

Armstrongs (n.) -- musical notes in the upper register, high trumpet notes.

Barbecue (n.) -- the girl friend, a beauty

Barrelhouse (adj.) -- free and easy.

Battle (n.) -- a very homely girl, a crone.

Beat (adj.) -- (1) tired, exhausted. Ex., "You look beat" or "I feel beat." (2) lacking anything. Ex, "I am beat for my cash", "I am beat to my socks" (lacking everything).

Beat it out (v.) -- play it hot, emphasize the rhythym.

Beat up (adj.) -- sad, uncomplimentary, tired.

Beat up the chops (or the gums) (v.) -- to talk, converse, be loquacious.

Beef (v.) -- to say, to state. Ex., "He beefed to me that, etc."

Bible (n.) -- the gospel truth. Ex., "It's the bible!"

Black (n.) -- night.

Black and tan (n.) -- dark and light colored folks. Not colored and white folks as erroneously assumed.

Blew their wigs (adj.) -- excited with enthusiasm, gone crazy.

Blip (n.) -- something very good. Ex., "That's a blip"; "She's a blip."

Blow the top (v.) -- to be overcome with emotion (delight). Ex., "You'll blow your top when you hear this one."

Boogie-woogie (n.) -- harmony with accented bass.

Boot (v.) -- to give. Ex., "Boot me that glove."

Break it up (v.) -- to win applause, to stop the show.

Bree (n.) -- girl.

Bright (n.) -- day.

Brightnin' (n.) -- daybreak.

Bring down ((1) n. (2) v.) -- (1) something depressing. Ex., "That's a bring down." (2) Ex., "That brings me down."

Buddy ghee (n.) -- fellow.

Bust your conk (v.) -- apply yourself diligently, break your neck.

Canary (n.) -- girl vocalist.

Capped (v.) -- outdone, surpassed.

Cat (n.) -- musician in swing band.

Chick (n.) -- girl.

Chime (n.) -- hour. Ex., "I got in at six chimes."

Clambake (n.) -- ad lib session, every man for himself, a jam session not in the groove.

Chirp (n.) -- female singer.

Cogs (n.) -- sun glasses.

Collar (v.) -- to get, to obtain, to comprehend. Ex., "I gotta collar me some food"; "Do you collar this jive?"

Come again (v.) -- try it over, do better than you are doing, I don't understand you.

Comes on like gangbusters (or like test pilot) (v.) -- plays, sings, or dances in a terrific manner, par excellence in any department. Sometimes abbr. to "That singer really comes on!"

Cop (v.) -- to get, to obtain (see collar; knock).

Corny (adj.) -- old-fashioned, stale.

Creeps out like the shadow (v.) -- "comes on," but in smooth, suave, sophisticated manner.

Crumb crushers (n.) -- teeth.

Cubby (n.) -- room, flat, home.

Cups (n.) -- sleep. Ex., "I gotta catch some cups."

Cut out (v.) -- to leave, to depart. Ex., "It's time to cut out"; "I cut out from the joint in early bright."

Cut rate (n.) -- a low, cheap person. Ex., "Don't play me cut rate, Jack!"

Dicty (adj.) -- high-class, nifty, smart.

Dig (v.) -- (1) meet. Ex., "I'll plant you now and dig you later." (2) look, see. Ex., "Dig the chick on your left duke." (3) comprehend, understand. Ex., "Do you dig this jive?"

Dim (n.) -- evening.

Dime note (n.) -- ten-dollar bill.

Doghouse (n.) -- bass fiddle.

Domi (n.) -- ordinary place to live in. Ex., "I live in a righteous dome."

Doss (n.) -- sleep. Ex., "I'm a little beat for my doss."

Down with it (adj.) -- through with it.

Drape (n.) -- suit of clothes, dress, costume.

Dreamers (n.) -- bed covers, blankets.

Dry-goods (n.) -- same as drape.

Duke (n.) -- hand, mitt.

Dutchess (n.) -- girl.

Early black (n.) -- evening

Early bright (n.) -- morning.

Evil (adj.) -- in ill humor, in a nasty temper.

Fall out (v.) -- to be overcome with emotion. Ex., "The cats fell out when he took that solo."

Fews and two (n.) -- money or cash in small quatity.

Final (v.) -- to leave, to go home. Ex., "I finaled to my pad" (went to bed); "We copped a final" (went home).

Fine dinner (n.) -- a good-looking girl.

Focus (v.) -- to look, to see.

Foxy (v.) -- shrewd.

Frame (n.) -- the body.

Fraughty issue (n.) -- a very sad message, a deplorable state of affairs.

Freeby (n.) -- no charge, gratis. Ex., "The meal was a freeby."

Frisking the whiskers (v.) -- what the cats do when they are warming up for a swing session.

Frolic pad (n.) -- place of entertainment, theater, nightclub.

Fromby (adj.) -- a frompy queen is a battle or faust.

Front (n.) -- a suit of clothes.

Fruiting (v.) -- fickle, fooling around with no particular object.

Fry (v.) -- to go to get hair straightened.

Gabriels (n.) -- trumpet players.

Gammin' (adj.) -- showing off, flirtatious.

Gasser (n, adj.) -- sensational. Ex., "When it comes to dancing, she's a gasser."

Gate (n.) -- a male person (a salutation), abbr. for "gate-mouth."

Get in there (exclamation.) -- go to work, get busy, make it hot, give all you've got.

Gimme some skin (v.) -- shake hands.

Glims (n.) -- the eyes.

Got your boots on -- you know what it is all about, you are a hep cat, you are wise.

Got your glasses on -- you are ritzy or snooty, you fail to recognize your friends, you are up-stage.

Gravy (n.) -- profits.

Grease (v.) -- to eat.

Groovy (adj.) -- fine. Ex., "I feel groovy."

Ground grippers (n.) -- new shoes.

Growl (n.) -- vibrant notes from a trumpet.

Gut-bucket (adj.) -- low-down music.

Guzzlin' foam (v.) -- drinking beer.

Hard (adj.) -- fine, good. Ex., "That's a hard tie you're wearing."

Hard spiel (n.) -- interesting line of talk.

Have a ball (v.) -- to enjoy yourself, stage a celebration. Ex., "I had myself a ball last night."

Hep cat (n.) -- a guy who knows all the answers, understands jive.

Hide-beater (n.) -- a drummer (see skin-beater).

Hincty (adj.) -- conceited, snooty.

Hip (adj.) -- wise, sophisticated, anyone with boots on. Ex., "She's a hip chick."

Home-cooking (n.) -- something very dinner (see fine dinner).

Hot (adj.) -- musically torrid; before swing, tunes were hot or bands were hot.

Hype (n, v.) -- build up for a loan, wooing a girl, persuasive talk.

Icky (n.) -- one who is not hip, a stupid person, can't collar the jive.

Igg (v.) -- to ignore someone. Ex., "Don't igg me!)

In the groove (adj.) -- perfect, no deviation, down the alley.

Jack (n.) -- name for all male friends (see gate; pops).

Jam ((1)n, (2)v.) -- (1) improvised swing music. Ex., "That's swell jam." (2) to play such music. Ex., "That cat surely can jam."

Jeff (n.) -- a pest, a bore, an icky.

Jelly (n.) -- anything free, on the house.

Jitterbug (n.) -- a swing fan.

Jive (n.) -- Harlemese speech.

Joint is jumping -- the place is lively, the club is leaping with fun.

Jumped in port (v.) -- arrived in town.

Kick (n.) -- a pocket. Ex., "I've got five bucks in my kick."

Kill me (v.) -- show me a good time, send me.

Killer-diller (n.) -- a great thrill.

Knock (v.) -- give. Ex., "Knock me a kiss."

Kopasetic (adj.) -- absolutely okay, the tops.

Lamp (v.) -- to see, to look at.

Land o'darkness (n.) -- Harlem.

Lane (n.) -- a male, usually a nonprofessional.

Latch on (v.) -- grab, take hold, get wise to.

Lay some iron (v.) -- to tap dance. Ex., "Jack, you really laid some iron that last show!"

Lay your racket (v.) -- to jive, to sell an idea, to promote a proposition.

Lead sheet (n.) -- a topcoat.

Left raise (n.) -- left side. Ex., "Dig the chick on your left raise."

Licking the chops (v.) -- see frisking the whiskers.

Licks (n.) -- hot musical phrases.

Lily whites (n.) -- bed sheets.

Line (n.) -- cost, price, money. Ex., "What is the line on this drape" (how much does this suit cost)? "Have you got the line in the mouse" (do you have the cash in your pocket)? Also, in replying, all figures are doubled. Ex., "This drape is line forty" (this suit costs twenty dollars).

Lock up -- to acquire something exclusively. Ex., "He's got that chick locked up"; "I'm gonna lock up that deal."

Main kick (n.) -- the stage.

Main on the hitch (n.) -- husband.

Main queen (n.) -- favorite girl friend, sweetheart.

Man in gray (n.) -- the postman.

Mash me a fin (command.) -- Give me $5.

Mellow (adj.) -- all right, fine. Ex., "That's mellow, Jack."

Melted out (adj.) -- broke.

Mess (n.) -- something good. Ex., "That last drink was a mess."

Meter (n.) -- quarter, twenty-five cents.

Mezz (n.) -- anything supreme, genuine. Ex., "this is really the mezz."

Mitt pounding (n.) -- applause.

Moo juice (n.) -- milk.

Mouse (n.) -- pocket. Ex., "I've got a meter in the mouse."

Muggin' (v.) -- making 'em laugh, putting on the jive. "Muggin' lightly," light staccato swing; "muggin' heavy," heavy staccato swing.

Murder (n.) -- something excellent or terrific. Ex., "That's solid murder, gate!"

Neigho, pops -- Nothing doing, pal.

Nicklette (n.) -- automatic phonograph, music box.

Nickel note (n.) -- five-dollar bill.

Nix out (v.) -- to eliminate, get rid of. Ex., "I nixed that chick out last week"; "I nixed my garments" (undressed).

Nod (n.) -- sleep. Ex., "I think I'l cop a nod."

Ofay (n.) -- white person.

Off the cob (adj.) -- corny, out of date.

Off-time jive (n.) -- a sorry excuse, saying the wrong thing.

Orchestration (n.) -- an overcoat.

Out of the world (adj.) -- perfect rendition. Ex., "That sax chorus was out of the world."

Ow! -- an exclamation with varied meaning. When a beautiful chick passes by, it's "Ow!"; and when someone pulls an awful pun, it's also "Ow!"

Pad (n.) -- bed.

Pecking (n.) -- a dance introduced at the Cotton Club in 1937.

Peola (n.) -- a light person, almost white.

Pigeon (n.) -- a young girl.

Pops (n.) -- salutation for all males (see gate; Jack).

Pounders (n.) -- policemen.

Queen (n.) -- a beautiful girl.

Rank (v.) -- to lower.

Ready (adj.) -- 100 per cent in every way. Ex., "That fried chicken was ready."

Ride (v.) -- to swing, to keep perfect tempo in playing or singing.

Riff (n.) -- hot lick, musical phrase.

Righteous (adj.) -- splendid, okay. Ex., "That was a righteous queen I dug you with last black."

Rock me (v.) -- send me, kill me, move me with rhythym.

Ruff (n.) -- quarter, twenty-five cents.

Rug cutter (n.) -- a very good dancer, an active jitterbug.

Sad (adj.) -- very bad. Ex., "That was the saddest meal I ever collared."

Sadder than a map (adj.) -- terrible. Ex., "That man is sadder than a map."

Salty (adj.) -- angry, ill-tempered.

Sam got you -- you've been drafted into the army.

Send (v.) -- to arouse the emotions. (joyful). Ex., "That sends me!"

Set of seven brights (n.) -- one week.

Sharp (adj.) -- neat, smart, tricky. Ex., "That hat is sharp as a tack."

Signify (v.) -- to declare yourself, to brag, to boast.

Skins (n.) -- drums.

Skin-beater (n.) -- drummer (see hide-beater).

Sky piece (n.) -- hat.

Slave (v.) -- to work, whether arduous labor or not.

Slide your jib (v.) -- to talk freely.

Snatcher (n.) -- detective.

So help me -- it's the truth, that's a fact.

Solid (adj.) -- great, swell, okay.

Sounded off (v.) -- began a program or conversation.

Spoutin' (v.) -- talking too much.

Square (n.) -- an unhep person (see icky; Jeff).

Stache (v.) -- to file, to hide away, to secrete.

Stand one up (v.) -- to play one cheap, to assume one is a cut-rate.

To be stashed (v.) -- to stand or remain.

Susie-Q (n.) -- a dance introduced at the Cotton Club in 1936.

Take it slow (v.) -- be careful.

Take off (v.) -- play a solo.

The man (n.) -- the law.

Threads (n.) -- suit, dress or costuem (see drape; dry-goods).

Tick (n.) -- minute, moment. Ex., "I'll dig you in a few ticks." Also, ticks are doubled in accounting time, just as money isdoubled in giving "line." Ex., "I finaled to the pad this early bright at tick twenty" (I got to bed this morning at ten o'clock).

Timber (n.) -- toothipick.

To dribble (v.) -- to stutter. Ex., "He talked in dribbles."

Togged to the bricks -- dressed to kill, from head to toe.

Too much (adj.) -- term of highest praise. Ex., "You are too much!"

Trickeration (n.) -- struttin' your stuff, muggin' lightly and politely.

Trilly (v.) -- to leave, to depart. Ex., "Well, I guess I'll trilly."

Truck (v.) -- to go somewhere. Ex., "I think I'll truck on down to the ginmill (bar)."

Trucking (n.) -- a dance introduced at the Cotton Club in 1933.

Twister to the slammer (n.) -- the key to the door.

Two cents (n.) -- two dollars.

Unhep (adj.) -- not wise to the jive, said of an icky, a Jeff, a square.

Vine (n.) -- a suit of clothes.

V-8 (n.) -- a chick who spurns company, is independent, is not amenable.

What's your story? -- What do you want? What have you got to say for yourself? How are tricks? What excuse can you offer? Ex., "I don't know what his story is."

Whipped up (adj.) -- worn out, exhausted, beat for your everything.

Wren (n.) -- a chick, a queen.

Wrong riff -- the wrong thing said or done. Ex., "You're coming up on the wrong riff."

Yarddog (n.) -- uncouth, badly attired, unattractive male or female.

Yeah, man -- an exclamation of assent.

Zoot (adj.) -- overexaggerated as applied to clothes.

Zoot suit (n.) -- overexaggerated clothes.

[ghost of miles]

For a while, his sister, Blanche Calloway, had a more interesting band.

Yes, she was the star before Cab. I finally picked up that Classics CD of hers, which I think probably doesn't represent the band at its best--but still you get a sense, and I enjoy her singing. Recently did a sister/brother big-band show on both her and Cab.

[mikeweil]

Whaddya say, gate? Are you in the know, or are you a solid bringer-downer? (Cab Calloway, 'Are you Hep to the Jive')

Yeah, I'm hep to it! A prime representant of the entertainment side of jazz.

Thanks a lot for that jive list!!!

[chris olivarez]

He fired Dizzy.

[Christiern]

For something Jonah Jones did.

[Hardbopjazz]

He fired Dizzy.

I wonder what it was that got Diz fired?

[brownie]

He fired Dizzy.

I wonder what it was that got Diz fired?

Cab Calloway was the target of a spitball sometime around 1941. Jonah Jones did it but played dumb when Cab Calloway asked for the name of the culprit. Calloway assumed the offender was John Birks 'Dizzy' Gillespie, a spitball expert.

Dizzy got fired.

A famous incident in jazz lore.

[jazzbo]

Did he or did he not pull a knife on Cab when confronted?

My boss would fire me if I pulled a knife on her, I do believe. . .

[EKE BBB]

There´s an interesting OFFICIAL CAB CALLOWAY ORCHESTRA WEBSITE.

The Orchestra is still alive, conducted by Cab´s grandson!

[brownie]

Did he or did he not pull a knife on Cab when confronted?

My boss would fire me if I pulled a knife on her, I do believe. . . 

Lon, read all about it in this link:

http://dvd-shop.yellowpages.pl/1111R749P13...ball-Story.html

A great story!

Now why would you pull a knife at your ladyboss?

[jazzbo]

I thought a knife came into play before the firing or after; thanks for that link.

I wouldn't threaten my boss in any way. I love my boss. She's such an intelligent and caring person. I spent six months previous to her working for someone who was her opposite in personality and totally unaccustomed to state government and totally unwilling to make the changes that would mean successfully fulfilling the duties of his job. Luckily my current boss lobbied to remove me from that trainwreck before the collision occurred.

Now if only we both loved HER bosses, those in upper management! They are NOT nice people. Nor are they good public servants. They're more like pirates!

Edited April 15, 2004 by jazzbo

[Mark Stryker]

Gang, what's the best Cab Calloway single CD/stream out there that is widely available/attainable that gives you the most substantial jazz stuff (Chu Berry, Dizzy, etc.) with a minimum of the jive numbers and hits?  

[Big Beat Steve]

Unless you compile one yourself I think it is going to be difficult to find one with a MINIMUM of the jive numbers. Why would any compiler deprive himself of the ESSENCE of the Cab Calloway band from that period when jazz meant entertainment and dancing above all?

So ... for your specific question I'd sugest you search for a Chu Berry compilation that features a maximum of his feature tracks with the Cab Calloway band. There were a couple of vinyls of that kind and their contents may have been re-reissued "as is" somewhere in the CD era. One was a CBS reissue billed to Chu Berry and His Stompy Stevedores (with one of the two sides featuring Cab Calloway Orchestra recordings) which had several repressings, and another one was "Chu Berry Featured with Cab Calloway - "Penguin Swing" on Jazz Archives JA-8. But even there the Cab Calloway jive vocals aren't totally absent.